Adequate Cartridge for Elk???

Because an Elk will retreat on a threat, while a lion might decide to grab your throat, like he does to everything he eats, or decides to kill. And lions even kill little cub lions because he didn't sire them.

A male lion weighs about half as much as an elk. If shot placement is so critical shouldn’t a lion hunter be capable of harvesting their animal with say a 243? A lion, rino or hippo hunter shouldn’t need those bigger cartridges with good shot placement because it’s been said many many times here, shot placement is critical…So the lion hunter doesn’t need those large cartridges when practically any reasonable cartridge and bullet with proper shot placement will work, do they? Should the mentality of harvesting an elk be that much different than harvesting a lion or other game.

There is adequate, there is better, there is much better, and there is just plain the not so smart choice.

Comparing the killing of a cat species with low velocity non expanding bullets to shooting a hooved animal with high velocity expanding round is a little over the top don't you think!

A male lion weighs about half as much as an elk. If shot placement is so critical shouldn’t a lion hunter be capable of harvesting their animal with say a 243? A lion, rino or hippo hunter shouldn’t need those bigger cartridges with good shot placement because it’s been said many many times here, shot placement is critical…So the lion hunter doesn’t need those large cartridges when practically any reasonable cartridge and bullet with proper shot placement will work, do they? Should the mentality of harvesting an elk be that much different than harvesting a lion or other game.

There is adequate, there is better, there is much better, and there is just plain the not so smart choice.

We're talking about a elk, not something that wants to turn you into a snack.

A male lion weighs about half as much as an elk. If shot placement is so critical shouldn’t a lion hunter be capable of harvesting their animal with say a 243? A lion, rino or hippo hunter shouldn’t need those bigger cartridges with good shot placement because it’s been said many many times here, shot placement is critical…So the lion hunter doesn’t need those large cartridges when practically any reasonable cartridge and bullet with proper shot placement will work, do they? Should the mentality of harvesting an elk be that much different than harvesting a lion or other game.

There is adequate, there is better, there is much better, and there is just plain the not so smart choice.

I completely get what you are saying MMERSS...makes you think twice about those energy numbers. Bottom line for me, if I were looking to buy a rifle for elk hunting, I would be buying the largest caliber rifle that I can shoot accurately. And that is for a similar reason to that of a person hunting a lion...you want the quickest kill possible. I know an elk won't kill me, but chasing a blood trail for miles on end might